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The United States President Donald Trump has signed a major disaster declaration on Sunday for Kerr County, thereby activating the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to Texas.
Trump, who described the disaster as a horrible thing, promised to visit the county on Friday
The destructive, fast-moving waters of the river rose eight metres within 45 minutes before daybreak on Friday, washing away homes and vehicles while tens of lives have been reportedly dead and missing.
The State Governor, Greg Abott, warned on Sunday that additional rounds of heavy rains lasting into Tuesday could produce more life-threatening flooding, especially in places already saturated.
Abott vowed that authorities would work round the clock to search new areas new areas as the water receded, declaring Sunday a day of prayer for the state.
“I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday — for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines,” he said.
Officials said more than 850 people were rescued in the first 36 hours using helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue people stranded in trees and from camps isolated by washed-out roads.
In Kerr County, home to Camp Mystic and other youth camps in the Texas Hill Country, searchers have found the bodies of 68 people, including 28 children, Sheriff Larry Leitha said on Sunday afternoon.
He pledged to keep searching until everybody was found from Friday’s flash floods. Ten other deaths were reported in Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green and Williamson counties, officials disclosed.
The Canadian Government has reversed its decision on 178 study fields to enable students apply for Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) in order to build a career in the Maple Leaf country.
The reinstated fields will remain eligible until early 2026, and those who applied for study permits between June 25 and July 4, 2025, are covered.
Few weeks ago, the government controversially removed the fields from the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) eligibility list.
This decision left many international students uncertain about their future as their programs no longer qualified for the coveted Canadian work permit.
According to the statement issued by Immigration Refugees, Citizenship, Canada (IRCC), students who submitted study permit applications between June 25 and July 4, 2025, for these previously ineligible fields are still covered under the new rules.
“The reinstated 178 fields are linked to jobs in long-term shortage, ensuring graduates can contribute to Canada’s economy.
“Boost for Canada’s Education Sector: The policy change reinforces Canada’s appeal as a top destination for international students, driving enrollment and economic growth.
“The July 4 update ensures that fields removed on June 25 are now eligible again, and this applies retroactively for study permit applications submitted between June 25 and July 4, 2025,” it added.
The Senate has given conditions for the reinstatement of the embattled Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, after a Federal High Court in Abuja nullified the six-month suspension handed down on her by the Senate.
Justice Binta Nyako, in her judgment on Friday, ordered the Senate to reinstate the Kogi Central senator, just as it described the suspension as excessive.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended in March by the Red Chamber for six months for alleged gross misconduct, following her face-off with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, over the sitting arrangement.
The suspended Senator had on national television, accused Akpabio of punishing her for rejecting his alleged sexual moves.
Akpoti-Uduaghan submitted a petition to the Senate, alleging that she was sexually harassed by Akpabio, which was an allegation the Senate President had since denied.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025, went ahead to challenge her suspension in court.
Delivering her judgment on the matter, Justice Nyako faulted the provision of Chapter Eight of the Senate Standing Rules as well as Section 14 of the Legislative Houses, Powers & Privileges Act, while she declared both as overreaching.
The court stressed that the two legislations failed to specify the maximum period that a serving lawmaker could be suspended from office.
Justice Nyako stated that while the Senate had the authority to discipline its members, such disciplinary actions must not strip citizens of representation in the National Assembly.
She noted that since the Senate was constitutionally required to sit for only 181 days in a legislative year, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s 180-day suspension amounted to denying the people of Kogi Central District effective participation and representation in national governance.
“The court is not saying that the Senate lacks the power to sanction a member. However, such sanctions must not negate the constitutional right of constituents to be represented in parliament,” Justice Nyako ruled.
The court, however, found Akpoti-Uduaghan guilty of contempt over a satirical apology she posted on her Facebook page on April 27.
Justice Nyako held that after reviewing the post and the application before her instituted by the third respondent, she was satisfied that it was linked to the suspension matter before the court and therefore found the plaintiff guilty of contempt.
The judge, therefore, ordered Akpoti-Uduaghan to publish an apology in two national dailies and on her Facebook page within seven days,imposing a fine of N5m.
In reaction to the judgment, the Senate Spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, said the Red Chamber would not immediately reinstate the embattled senator.
Adaramodu said that the court judgment did not override the Senate’s constitutional powers to discipline its members.
“Which judgment are we appealing when they (the court) said the Senate has the right to discipline its erring members? The court has not ousted the Senate’s statutory right to punish any erring senator.
“It was established that the senator in question erred. The court has already told her to go and do some things, like restitution, so after the restitution, the Senate will now sit again and consider the content of that restitution, and that will inform our next line of action,” Adaramodu said.
He explained that the Senate would only reconvene to deliberate on the matter after Akpoti-Uduaghan had complied with the court’s directives.
“The onus is no more on us now; it is already on her doorstep to go and apologise. Once she does that, then the Senate will sit and determine how to deal with her matter.
“The first reaction now will not be from us, the court has ruled, so once she takes the step to redress and does what the court has directed her to do, then the Senate will sit and look at the content of her reaction as prescribed by the court,” Adaramodu added.
Addressing journalists after the judgment, the Senate counsel, Paul Dauda, SAN, described the ruling as a partial victory for the Senate, with reference to the issue of civil contempt arising from social media posts made during the case.
“The first application filed by the Senate, that no social media posts should have been made, was decided in our favour. The court directed that the satirical apology be taken down and that a proper apology be published in two national ddailies. Additionally, damages of five million naira were awarded to be paid to the court,” Dauda said.
On the substantive ruling regarding the suspension, Dauda added that the Senate’s authority to discipline its members was not in dispute.
“It appears the court affirmed that the Senate, as an institution, has the right to discipline its members. While members are elected to represent constituencies, they are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the Senate’s standing rules,” he said.
He further said that the court did not order the reinstatement of Akpoti-Uduaghan, but that suggested the Senate could consider recalling her.
“There was no relief asking for the suspension to be lifted. The judge only made what we call an obiter dictum, a non-binding remark, that the suspension may have been excessive. We will consult with our colleagues, read the full judgment, and respond accordingly,” he added.
The Portugal and Liverpool winger, Diogo Jota, has died in an auto crash, which occured on Thursday.
The road accident, which occurred in the Spanish region of Zamora, claiming the lives of the 28-year-old Portuguese footballer and his brother, Andre Silva, the national football association has confirmed.
Jota was involved in an accident overnight on Thurday when the Lamborghini he was travelling in veered off the road and caught on fire, according to authorities and media reports.
The accident occurred at 00:30 on the A-52 near Sanabria in the municipality of Cernadilla. The Portuguese international’s brother André Silva — also a footballer who played for Liga Portugal 2 side Penafiel — was with Diogo Jota in the vehicle and also died at the scene, according to reports.
“The Portuguese Football Federation and the entire Portuguese football community are completely devastated by the deaths of Diogo Jota and André Silva this morning in Spain,” the Portuguese FA said in a statement on Thursday.
“We have lost two champions. The passing of Diogo and André Silva represents irreparable losses for Portuguese Football, and we will do everything to honor their legacy daily,” Portugese FA said.
His club, Liverpool FC, also issued a statement on Thursday, saying they were “devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota.”
“Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andre’s family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss.”
“We will continue to provide them with our full support,” the statement said.
FC Porto, where he spent a year on loan during the 2016-17 season, expressed its condolences following the news of Jota’s passing.
“Porto Football Club is in mourning,” the club said in a post on X. “It is with shock and deep regret that we send our most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, who was also our athlete in the youth categories,” the club stated.
Pacey winger with an eye for the goal born Diogo José Teixeira da Silva, the native of Porto became known as Diogo Jota after choosing to wear “Diogo J” to distinguish himself from other players with similar names at his youth club Paços de Ferreira.
Following a transfer to Atlético Madrid in 2016 — which involved a loan to Porto for the season — Jota’s stock quickly rose due to his lightning-fast pace and clinical finishing. He arrived at Liverpool FC in 2020 after a stint at Wolverhampton Wanderers, whom he helped gain promotion to the Premier League in 2017-18.
Jota registered six goals and three assists in 26 appearances in the Premier League in 2024-25 with Liverpool, celebrating the club’s 20th league title in May.
In addition to this year’s Premier League title, Jota won one FA Cup and one EFL Cup with the Liverpool-based club. He also won two UEFA Nations League titles with the Portuguese national team, for whom he played 49 games and scored 14 goals.
He was an avid gamer, known for participating in esports tournaments, and also owned an esports team, Luna Galaxy. In 2021, he briefly became world number one in the FIFA 21 football game.
His triangle gesture, as well as his goal celebration in which he’d mimic sitting down with a video game controller, were both in homage to the EA Sports series.
Jota married his long-time partner Rute Cardoso less than two weeks ago, on 22 June. The couple had three children.
The Anambra State Commander of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Ibadin Judith-Chukwu, has disclosed that human trafficking is assuming an increasingly disturbing dimension, as youths in the state are now in the business of cohabiting to produce babies for sale.
Judith-Chukwu raised this alarm during an interview with journalists in her office in Awka, saying that young people have resolved to mutually consenting to cohabit with the sole aim of getting pregnant in order to sell babies after delivery.
She said the agency has established the state task force to curb human trafficking in the rural areas, where the practice is most prevalent.
According to her, “we have seen situations where a girl gets pregnant, and then someone suddenly presents a marriage proposal.
“After she gives birth, often without her knowledge or consent, the man takes the baby and sells it,” she said.
Judith-Chukwu, who lamented that the sale of babies is more prevalent in rural communities, emphasised the need for widespread public enlightenment, particularly among residents of remote areas.
“I can say that NAPTIP has performed fairly well by establishing state task forces. These task forces are addressing crimes specific to each state, especially those related to human trafficking.
“The task force in Anambra State is active and being equipped to handle the situation.
“Since its establishment in 2020, the Anambra State Task Force on Human Trafficking has initiated various activities, including public sensitisation campaigns, to raise awareness about the trends and patterns of human trafficking,” she said.
The NAPTIP Commander added that both the agency and the task force are committed to informing and educating the public about the deceptive tactics used by traffickers.
She called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, and other influential figures to join the fight against the so-called “organised crime”.
“We are engaging critical stakeholders such as sister law enforcement agencies, religious bodies, and community groups to ensure the message gets to every corner of the state.
“We are also looking forward to the August meeting, which presents a valuable opportunity for intensive sensitisation,” Judith-Chukwu added
The Imo State Police Command in Nigeria says it has rescued 12 minors and arrested a 42-year-old woman, Ann Ngozi Enyenwa, believed to be the ringleader of a child kidnapping and trafficking syndicate.
Imo State Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma,who condemned all forms of child trafficking and abuse, empasized the commitment of the Command to safeguarding the rights and dignity of every child in the state.
This was revealed in a statement by the the Police Public Relations Officer in Imo State, Henry Okoye on Sunday.
Okoye said the operatives through an intelligence-led stop-and-search operation arrested Enyenwa of Umudim Ohekelem in the Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State on June 20th along the busy Owerri-Aba Express Way.
He said the arrest led to the smashing of a child trafficking network that used children for streets begging in Aba, Abia State, purported to be for a motherless babies home in Rivers State.
The Police spokesperson said the proceeds made by the children from begging were allegedly sent to Shalom Motherless Babies Home in Okenyi, Rivers State, where Ann Ngozi Enyenwa claimed to be employed.
According to him, the suspect had already confessed that the children were trafficked from Ngor Okpala in Imo State to Aba in Abia State, where they were forced to do streets begging.
“The Imo State Police Command, through an intelligence-led stop-and-search operation, has arrested one Ann Ngozi Enyenwa, 42 years old, of Umudim Ohekelem in Ngor-Okpala LGA, on 20th June, 2025 along the Owerri-Aba Express Road and rescued twelve children suspected to have been abducted.
“This arrest led to the uncovering of a disturbing child trafficking network that exploited minors for street begging in Aba, Abia State.
“Upon her arrest, the suspect was found with several children whose appearance and condition immediately aroused suspicion. Consequently, the case was referred to the IGP X-Squad Unit for discreet investigation.
“During interrogation, the suspect confessed to trafficking children from Ngor-Okpala LGA to Aba, where they were coerced into street begging. She further disclosed that proceeds from their activities were allegedly sent to Shalom Motherless Babies Home in Okenyi, Eche LGA, Rivers State, where she claimed to be employed.
“As a result of the operation, twelve children between the ages of 5 and 13 were rescued. Their alleged names are as follows: Chinyere Nnaralaeze (10), Favour Madufor (13), Ugochi Pius (13), Ifeanyi Pius (9), Favour Timothy (10), Solomon Ihechi Chinuike (7), Chinaza Madufor (10), Nneoma Timothy (9), Promise Maduenyenwa (5), Gospel Chibuike (9), Chinedu Maduenyiwa (11), and Chinonso Paul (10)—all from various communities in Ngor-Okpala LG,” he said.
Assuring that the children were currently in safe custody, the Police spokesperson noted that efforts were in top gear in collaboration with relevant agencies to identify and reunite them with their biological families.
The United States President Donald Trump, in a new move has expressed his decision to end all trade discussions with Canada as a way of hitting back at Ottawa for slapping a tax on web giants.
Trump said the taxes must be removed before the resumption of negotiations with Canada on trade-related issues.
Canada and the US have been engaging in conversations to get Trump lift his punishing tariffs on Canadian goods, levies that have already resulted in major economic dislocations, job losses and a drop in southbound exports.
The US President and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, last weet at the G7 Summit held in Alberta, concluded to reach some agreements on the trade dispute within the space of 30 days.
Speaking in the Oval Office on Friday afternoon, Trump noted that the US has “such power over Canada,” and that he is displeased the country is following a taxation strategy similar to Europe’s.
In his words: “It’s not going to work out well for Canada. They were foolish to do it.”
He mentioned his plan to impose the DST, which was passed into law last year with a delayed application.
“We’re going to stop all negotiations with Canada right now until they straighten out their act,” Trump said, just as he added that the only solution on the part of Canada for Ottawa to remove the tax.
Assuring that Canada will accede to his request, the US President pointed out that, “They do most of their business with us. When you have that circumstance, you treat people better.”
Earlier, Trump posted on social media that he may impose some blanket tariffs on Canadian goods as retribution for the DST, which will primarily hit U.S. firms since it targets only the biggest earners.
Speaking with news men, Prime Minister Carney said his country will continue to conduct complex negotiations in the best interest of Canadians.
“We’ll continue to conduct these complex negotiations in the best interest of Canadians,” Carney said. He did not address a reporter’s question about whether his government is prepared to drop the DST — something the Business Council of Canada is calling on Ottawa to do in exchange for US tariff relief,” he said.
The DST, which is set to take effect on June 30, will have US companies like Amazon, Google, Meta, Uber, and Airbnb pay a three per cent levy on revenue from Canadian users. The policy will apply retroactively, leaving US companies with a $2-billion US bill due at the end of the month.
These global digital firms are often able to skirt paying taxes in the countries where they operate, and the last Liberal government pitched the DST as a way to bring the tax code up to date and capture revenues earned in Canada by firms located abroad.
Former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has said many African leaders do not possess the basic understanding of economics required to effectively govern their countries.
Obasanjo said that such ignorance contributes to the continued dependence on foreign aid and persistent underdevelopment in Africa.
He made this known on Thursday during a panel session at the Afreximbank Annual Meeting with the theme, “African Renaissance in an Era of Turbulence: Are the Lions Still on the Move?”
The session was moderated by CNBC Africa’s Senior Anchor, Ms Fifi Peters.
Berating the level of economic ignorance among African leaders, Obasanjo asked, “How many of our leaders even understand basic economics to be able to run the affairs of their country?
“Look at how we go about borrowing money and wasting money. Waste and corruption—they are strange bedfellows of development. And that is what most of our leaders engage in,” he said.
The former President lamented that some African countries have the population and resources to lead development but for moving in the wrong direction.
He named Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Africa as the continent’s “lions,” alongside Kenya, Senegal, and Morocco, but said these countries except for one or two are not really moving as they should.
“The lions are there. They are not moving as they should be moving. And they have to move as they should move before you get Africa really as a continent moving as we expect it to move,” he said.
Adding that economic stagnation in these countries is partly due to political instability and weak institutions, Obasanjo said that it is impossible to talk about economics without mentioning politics, which he said is the master of economics.
He also blamed Africa’s elite for copying Western political systems wholesale without adapting them to local realities.
“Western liberal democracy, which we inherited from our colonial masters, needs to be internalised and interrogated. In most African languages, opposition is the enemy. Where do you talk of a loyal enemy?”
“Our democracy is a monocracy. Not democracy. Monitocracy. Which means you buy… You will buy for everybody. And you will be the treasurer. And then you will… and the money that comes in will, of course, go into your pocket.”
According to him, African societies traditionally relied on communal decision-making and consensus rather than adversarial politics.
“In the African system, we never talk of opposition. We sit down. We look at everything. We argue. And when we argue, we get consensus. Communalism. Not opposition and government.
“Now, I believe the time has come for us to say, hey, it’s not working for us. Even for them, it’s not working.”
“We have lived too long on aid. Is aid the way that Africa should be expecting? I don’t believe so. Now, if that is the case, what should we substitute for aid?”
“We run to Japan. We run to China. And all the African leaders run to China. For how much? China will give up $20bn. $20bn, which a country in Africa can produce more like that,” he pointed.
Despite the criticisms, he cited Ethiopia’s post-war wheat exports as evidence that African countries can achieve meaningful development.
Obasanjo also praised Afreximbank’s initiative to promote intra-African trade using local currencies, urging central banks to support it.
“For what reason do I have to look for euro or dollar when I’m buying milk in Uganda? Uganda produces over 5 trillion litres of milk. Nigeria needs that milk. Now, for me to be able to buy milk from Uganda, from Nigeria, I will have to go and look for euros and dollars.”
“The milk producer in Uganda doesn’t want my euro, he doesn’t want euro and dollar. He wants Uganda and Chile. But why can’t we pay him in Uganda and Chile? I have my own Naira, and then I’m paying Naira.”
He concluded, “Let us learn from ourselves and among ourselves, and let us then get the lions to move. And when the lions move, the cubs will follow the lions, and they will move together.”
The Canadian government has introduced an updated list of eligible fields of study for international students in non-degree programs, making it 929 fields of study altogether.
A total of 119 new fields of study are introduced for Post Graduate Work Permit, just as 178 fields have been removed from the list.
This move is part of efforts further to streamline immigration pathways, particularly through the Express Entry and address critical shortages in key sectors, including healthcare, education, and skilled trade.
This latest comprehensive guide explains the details of the updated PGWP requirements, the implications for international students, and offers insights into how these changes could shape Canada’s immigration landscape.
Under the healthcare and social service, nursing, medical laboratory technology, and social work were included in the list.
Early childhood education, teaching assistant programs, and other education-related fields also made the list while the skill traded included programs in carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, and other vocational trades.
Students in these fields who applied for a study permit before June 25, 2025, will still be eligible for a PGWP if their program was on the list at the time of their application.
The full list, organized by the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) system, is available on the official government website.
To ensure fairness, students who applied for a study permit before June 25, 2025, remain eligible for a PGWP if their field of study was on the eligible list at the time of their application, even if it has since been removed.
However, international students who submitted their application for PGWP before November 1, 2024 are exempted from the new policy.
The Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has formally announced the “end of the 12-day war” imposed by Israel, the IRNA news agency confirmed.
Israel-Iran was which began on June 13, was aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, an ambition Tehran has long denied holding
In a message to the nation on Tuesday, Pezeshkian said the nation was witnessing the establishment of a truce, which, he said, informed the need to end the war.
He commeded the heroic resistance of his country against adventurism and provocation of Israel.
“Today, after the heroic resistance of our great nation, whose determination makes history, we are witnessing the establishment of a truce and the ending of this 12-day war imposed by the adventurism and provocation” of Israel, Pezeshkian said.
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